Skimmer not working??

[zoren]

hi guys,

super newbie here. got my entire setup from a nice guy in the forum just last week, only thing lacking was a skimmer. so i bought a Dymax Protein Skimmer LS20, Sawtooth blade series. it has been running for about 2 days since i bought it. however, there has been NO skimate whatsoever! should i be worried that my skimmer isn't working properly?

or is the skimmer not tuned correctly? advice from my LFS was to adjust the water level to about just below the collection cup. all i see so far are small bubbles just above the water level. there is no formation of foam or any sludge or any collection at all!!! so what is wrong??

my fren said that my bioload is small, maybe no waste, so can't skim anything. currently i have a pair of clown fish, one algae blenny and a cleaner shrimp in my two ft tank. another suggestion was that the skimmer hasn't 'break in' yet. what is there to 'break in'?? argh?!?! did i just waste my money on a useless skimmer that can't do its job??

pls help!!!!

link to dymax skimmer: http://www.adec.com.sg/

[shoelevy]

my guess is that it hasn't broken in yet..give it a week...if after a week still no skimmate then i think you've wasted your money.

breaking in is a process new skimmers usually have to go through...its due to a layer of oil that is found on the acrylic of new skimmers which i believe is introduced due to the manufacturing process. this layer of oil makes it hard for the skimmate to climb up, slipping back down and hence no foam...the oil usually takes a few days to dissolve off so i suggest waiting for a week first before concluding anything alright?

chill...have a kitkat!

[zoren]

thanks shoelevy for the info. anyways, i did flush the entire skimmer with detergent before using it.

ok, so i just brought the skimmer back to my LFS. we tried the skimmer in his tank, hanging it outside. In a v. short while, there was foam building up inside the collection cup. the LFS guy then said it was about the tuning of the air and water level, need alot of experience, must be patient. but the thing is, i did wait for at least 2 days, and i really did try tuning it waiting for the water and bubbles to settle before adjusting it.

anyways, now the skimmer is in my tank, and back to square 1. sigh. no skimate or foam at all?!? argh!! i tried to tune the water level to around the neck, and then the bubbles to just above the neck. hmmm, but still no foam!

okok, so now there are a few theories. 1st is it because my water is too 'clean',not enough waste? any idea if you would get some skimate if you skim too 'clean' water? 2nd is it because my specific gravity is not sufficient? it is currently between 1.021 and 1.022. 3rd, my skimmer is originally a hang on, not an in sump. does it affect if i put it in or out?

no foaming, sigh... pls help!!!

[zephyros]

hmm ... take it that its a new tank ... with anything inside???

if nothing ... den nothing to skim lor

[cityofangels]

First thing to do right now is NOT to freak out because your skimmer isn't skimming. Like what the others have mentioned, it does take time for a new skimmer to settle in and break in. So give it some time.. For such a small bioload, I would imagine it'll take a week to have any skim-mate at all.

[zoren]

thanks guys!! feel more reasured now. heh, guess im just a kan chiong spider.

well, i will just wait, lets say a week? will update again. thanks again!!!

zoren

[leochngyh]

Me previously also panic with my skimmer not skimming. Then later only know my bio-load is low. My tank 50G with 2 nemos, 1 angel, 1 damsel and 1 boxer shrimp then no skimmate like yours, the big bubble dont form. Then later add in 2 tangs and 2 coral, the skimmer skim like hell now... Dont worry, no skimmate is ok.

[zoren]

oh, so its actually the low bioload? im currently using a 2ft tank plus a small sump, about 110L max? got 2 nemos, cleaner shrimp, 1 algae blenny.

anyways, i noticed that there is abit of yellowishy liquid collected. i suppose thats abit of skimate? but there's still no foam forming. sigh... how to get that foam and all that ugly brownish skimate like the rest? 4 days already, still no foam.

[Qxnviolet]

Erm, with your low bioload, theres not much reason for your skimmer to produce so much skimmate. I think its normal...relax...

[Achilles Tang]

Just make sure your bubbles are fine.... what's your salinity?

[zoren]

er, what do you mean by 'the bubbles are fine'. there are bubbles in the main chamber, but not as many and dense as those pics i've seen.

just checked the SG, its between 1.022 and 1.023. thats alright right?

[colinsoon]

i think its fine bro... anyway sorry to hijack your thread, but i am also facing a similar problem... me using a weipro 2011, and ever since i switched over from my old 14inch depth tank to an 18 inch depth tank, my skimmer seems to have lesser bubbles, and not skimming at all... my pump is at the bottom of my tank, with the skimmer hanging on outside... can the problem be caused by the height it has to travel before reaching the skimmer? cos i have the exact same problem with my macro at home, and problem is with the height of the pump from the skimmer...

[zoren]

hey guys!

guess what? i have FOAM!!! and yellowish skimmate collected in the cup. so i guess the skimmer is fine after all! hmmm, either that or my water is getting way too dirty.

so anyways, i guess goes to show that some skimmers have break in periods and all with different times. and oh, newbies can be kan cheong spiders as well.

thanks to all the nice guys who helped out here.